Environmental

Brian Nettles, Esq. A blue-green growth at several popular spots of Lake Mead National Recreation Area may be toxic algae. The colorful algae was discovered last month, but only recently became a concern after tests revealed the presence of microcystin, a toxin. No area of the lake has been closed to the public, but the National Park Service warns that people and their pets should stay out of the water. Microcystin can cause a variety of illnesses, from skin rashes to gastrointestinal issues. If you come into contact with the blue-green algae, rinse thoroughly with clean water. If accidentally ingested, …

Chris Welsh, Esq. www.welsh-law.com The evidence of the destruction and disappearance of the workers’ compensation system is mounting, The verdict? Families of injured workers and taxpayers bear the majority of the cost, financially and socially. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), the federal agency that oversees the health and safety of America’s workers, has released a report on the dire conditions of the current workers’ compensation system. The agency’s report comes just after the release of another investigative report on the issue by NPR and ProPublica. All three entities’ investigations reveal much of the same: the timeless care …

Chris Welsh, Esq. welsh-law.com Workers’ compensation, more commonly known as “workers’ comp” has been a contract between employers and workers for more than a century: workers forfeit their right to sue and employers pay for insurance that covers medical bills and wages. Sadly, in recent years there has been a dismantling of this age-old dignity. Roughly a decade ago, the federal government–a long time advocate and protector of workers’ compensation–quit monitoring state laws on the matter. According to a new study by NPR and ProPublica, states have drastically cut workers’ benefits since this disappearance of oversight. Today, it can be …

Robert Sachs, Esq. http://www.shragerlaw.com There is no question that very serious problems of neglect, abuse, and inside politics currently wrack the nursing home industry. Here in Pennsylvania, the fight to protect our elderly loved ones against such negligence and corruption is very real. Last year, the state health department posted a disclaimer that their “surveys” of nursing home compliance with safety regulations were not intended “to be evidence of compliance with any legal standard of care in third-party litigation.” In other words, inspection records were not to be used against nursing homes in court. This type of language clearly tries …

Chris Welsh, Esq. welsh-law.com The Washington State Department of Transportation has filed a $17 million lawsuit for Skagit River Bridge Collapse of 2013. the lawsuit seeks damages to repay the costs of response and repair from over-height truck collision that caused the bridge to collapse into the river. In May 2013, a large tractor trailer with an over-height load collided with overhead braces of the bridge, severely damaging it and causing a collapsed that left two vehicles and the bridge in water. Thankfully there were no deaths, only minor injuries. The bridge, located 60 miles north of Seattle, has since …